# Google's Chile data center plan faces water-use opposition

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-22T10:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-s-chile-data-center-plan-faces-water-use-opposition

## Summary

After ChatGPT launched in November 2022, a University of California paper estimated its training consumed 185,000 gallons of water. Researchers later warned that hyperscale data centers can draw 1‑5 million gallons daily, comparable to a city of 10,000‑50,000 people. 

In Chile, Google’s $200 million Cerrillos project was projected to use 169 liters of water each second—enough for 80,000 residents’ annual drinking supply. Residents formed MOSACAT, challenged the plan, and a December 2019 referendum saw 49% reject the project. Google later offered air‑conditioning cooling only. Similar opposition rose in Quilicura against a Microsoft data center, and in Uruguay where Google’s Canelones site would consume 2 million gallons per day. Brazil also sees massive data‑center builds, including a $10 billion TikTok‑linked facility in Fortaleza, despite frequent droughts. 

These cases illustrate how AI‑driven data centers can strain local water resources, prompting community backlash and regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

## Key points

- Training the original ChatGPT model used an estimated 185,000 gallons of water (April 2023 study).
- Google’s proposed Cerrillos data center would consume 169 liters per second, equal to the annual drinking water of 80,000 residents.
- In Uruguay, Google’s planned Canelones site would use 2 million gallons of water daily for cooling.

## Why it matters

Water-intensive AI data centers can strain local supplies, spark community resistance, and force regulators to reconsider AI infrastructure expansion, highlighting sustainability challenges for the industry.

## Sources

1. [Big Tech's thirst for water is sparking a global resistance](https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-datacenters-water-resistance-global) (restofworld.org, 2026-10-22)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google's Chile data center plan faces water-use opposition", 22 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-s-chile-data-center-plan-faces-water-use-opposition

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